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Miko Kajiyama
: "Okay, take note: My name is Miko Peony Kajiyama; a founding member of the CSGs and former chess champion. Not that I'm bragging or anything. It's just something I'm good at. What can I say? I totally like to excel! So what's wrong with that, right?" Miko Kajiyama is an 8th grade student at Whistling Pines Junior High. Etymology "Miko" is not a common name given to Japanese children. It is far more commonly used as a pet name for those with the unisex name Mikoto than it is as a standalone name. When used alone, depending on the kanji it is written in, the name Miko can have numerous meanings such as "beautiful child" (美子 or 美児), "sea child" (海子 or 海児), or even "truthful tiger" (実虎). In Japanese, "miko" (巫女) is also the term used for women who work in Shinto shrines and is commonly translated as either "shrine maiden", "priestess", or "female shaman". It is also the word for "annoying". "Kajiyama" (usually written as 梶山) is a common surname in Japan. The most famous bearer of the surname is writer Toshiyuki Kajiyama. Background Little is known about Miko's home life. What is known is that her family is of Japanese descent, her parents are still together, and she has an older sister in high school named Murasaki that she is very close to. Sometime when she was 11 and in the 6th grade, Miko became friends with Dana St. Clair, much to the chagrin of her other friend, Nakili Abuto. After a bumpy start, the three became close and formed the clique known as The CSGs. Personality Miko is a very bubbly and friendly person. However, due to her perfectionist and somewhat competitive nature, she is very quick to anger and will become upset over relatively trivial things, such as Mr. Rarebit letting Rockett keep the shirt he gave her. She despises favoritism and believes that one should have to work hard to earn things. Miko's characterization was one of the things contemporary reviews of the series often criticized, as she is an example of the Overachieving Asian stereotype. Interests & Skills Due to overachieving nature, Miko has many interests. But the most prominent are chess and art. Relationships Since she was young, Miko's closest friends have been Dana St. Clair and Nakili Abuto. Though she is on friendly terms with just about everyone. She also has a pen-pal named Chibi. Miko has no known crushes. Plots Secret Paths in the Forest After winning several chess championships, Miko becomes insecure about her playing ability when all of the other kids and their parents complain about her constantly winning. Some kids even start to assume that she thinks she's better than them. Complicating things is the fact that a lot of people vocally support her during tournaments. After traveling down her secret path, a desert road, she learns that it doesn't matter what they think, that her true friends would want her to keep playing, and that everyone is good at different things. Secret Paths to the Sea Miko is featured in Nakili's path, where Nakili becomes upset at her constantly choosing to hang out with Dana over her. At some point, she became upset when Nakili and Dana went to see a movie without inviting her. Rockett's New School Depending on the choices made, Rockett could first encounter Miko in the Bird Cage as she walks into school with Nakili. Later, in Mr. Rarebit's art class, she formally introduces herself to Rockett along with Nakili and Dana, as well as the concept of the CSGs. She becomes upset when Mr. Rarebit gives Rockett a position on the yearbook staff, despite not having any reason for him to pick Miko over her. She complains about it to Jessie later in the bathroom, while Rockett is listening nearby in a stall. If the player chooses to respond nicely, Rockett will offer to let Miko do stuff for the yearbook, which she politely declines. Rockett's Tricky Decision At the start of the game, Miko tells Rockett that she is invited to Nakili's party, and informs her of the existence of Max's. She later attends Nakili's party dressed up as the Statue of Liberty . Rockett's Secret Invitation Rockett's First Dance According to some writings in Dana's locker, Miko objects to the King and Queen of Hearts contest, seeing it as sexist. Dana assumes that she's just upset because she knows she has little chance of being voted queen. Regardless, she attends the dance anyway and can be seen in the background of many scenes during it. Starfire Soccer Challenge Miko is a member of the Fireflies. While she is not the greatest player on the team, she sees herself as the best person to encourage and keep the team's spirits up whether they're winning or losing. Her favorite position is Midfielder. Regardless of how well the player performs in the try out minigames, Miko is accepted onto the Starfires, either as a forward or a defender. Purple Moon Place Purple Moon Place Treasures Miko's Butterfly Lamp "My paper lamp is beautiful... Especially at night, like when it's turned on and my bedroom has this golden kind of glow. One time, a butterfly flew behind the lamp and cast an incredible shadow. Those sorts of moments make you want to write poetry…Maybe something like 'beauty is as hard to capture as a butterfly's shadow behind a lamp.' That sounds like I'm really old and wise, doesn't it? Hah!" Miko's Makeover Mirror "There are days when I get totally sick of looking at the same me in the mirror. I mean, is that really who I am? Some boring, skinny stick-girl who wins chess matches and always gets an "A" on her exams? Good little Miko, smart little Miko, teacher's pet…Yuk! Maybe if I just dressed a little differently, people would see there are lots of "me's" inside…like the one who recites angry poems on a coffeehouse stage…or the one who hikes Mt. Everest and sticks a flag at the very top…or the one who flies a plane at an air show and makes people gasp with envy at my fantastic loops. I have all those kinds of dreams. And I could totally look like any of those people I want. Don't you think so? Hai!" Miko's Bonzai Tree "Bonzai" means "tree in a tray" in Japanese. That's because bonzai are grown in small pottery trays or containers. And they're not really miniature trees, either, did you know that? They are regular trees that started out a little smaller than normal, whose seeds were used to grow more extra-small trees like them. But the reason they stay really tiny is because their roots are forced to stay inside these small pots -- and because they are specially trimmed and shaped all the time to keep their tops small, too. Some types of bonzai have been grown in China and Japan for thousands of years. I don't know if I can be a really good bonzai gardener -- but I like looking at my cherry tree, especially when it blooms." Miko's Art Project "Ta-Da!! Thank you, thank you, yes it IS fantabulous, isn't it? Worth major awardage, if I say so myself. Rarebit assigned us a portrait as our latest project. I can't help it if I found him to be my muse d'art...and it's NOT sucking up, no matter what DStC says! I just happened to have some snaps of teach from our last field trip, that's all. No big. But I bet I get an "A" for awe-inspiring, anyway!" Miko's Raven Chess Queen "I finally got to play chess with that new girl, Felicia Ravenswood. And she was as good as she said she was! It was totally awesome to have someone challenging to play with -- not like most of the radish brains around here, who can't cope with anything more complex than checkers! So right now we're 5-3 in her favor, but I don't mind. I'm trying to get her to join my chess club after school..." Miko's Binoculars "If I were stranded on a desert island, I'd want some binoculars, so I could get a good look around. I'd be able to see if someone else landed on the island, like maybe pirates or something, from a long ways away! Then I could hide. I'd also have field books on the different kinds of animals and plants, so I'd know what NOT to touch or eat -- that's very important! And then I'd want my chess set, the wooden one, so I'd have something to pass away the time. Chess is the kind of game you can play against yourself, even, because there's so much strategy involved. And last, I'd take my cellular phone, even though it might not work on a really remote island. But you never know! I could maybe call somebody to come get me…" Rats "No serious story about kangaroo rats-- they're just cute! I saw them hopping on the path I took through the desert. They mostly come out at night, or on winter days when it's cooler." Cactus and Lizard "The cool thing about learning is that you start to see a connection between school and life. The lesson of the cactus and lizard is really about biology and chemistry -- but it's also, like, some sort of deeper truth: even in the driest, hottest, emptiest places, life will find a way to blossom and grow. That means there's hope for just about anyone, right?" Category:Rockett Series Characters Category:Secret Paths Characters Category:Starfire Soccer Characters Category:Characters Category:Whistling Pines Students